‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Pushed to Christmas Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Paramount is pushing back the release of Top Gun: Maverick from late June to Christmas amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The tentpole is the latest Hollywood event pic to move out of summer, underscoring the far-reaching impact of the virus.

The long-awaited Top Gun sequel, which was originally set to hit theaters in North America on June 24, will now unfurl Dec. 23. Tom Cruise returns to star alongside franchise newcomers Glen Powell and Miles Teller.

The studio also announced a new date for John Krasinski’s sequel A Quiet Place Part II, while taking Skydance’s holiday tentpole The Tomorrow War off the calendar for now (the latter had been set to open Dec. 25).

As of March 19, virtually all cinemas in the U.S. were closed because of coronavirus concerns. No one is sure when they will reopen. Some are hoping by mid-June; however, studio insiders say it could be some time for business to return to normal.

Paramount insiders say the decision to shift Top Gun: Maverick to Christmas allows Cruise to focus on preparing for the Mission: Impossible 7 shoot before moving into the marketing blitz for Maverick. M:I7 was set to begin production in Venice in late February, but those plans were halted because of the outbreak.

Among its other calendar changes, Paramount announced that A Quiet Place: Part II, which had been set to open March 20 in North America, will now bow Sept. 4.

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run, previously scheduled for May 22, is now slated to hit theaters July 31.